Life After Death
by matronmalicemizer
Summary: Asuka survives Third Impact to find the world reborn. However, she seems to be the only one who remembers anything... [AxR]


**Chapter 1**

I glanced toward the bar of the saloon, examining the bartender. He issued brief orders to the waitresses every few moments. I watched carefully as they scurried about.

This situation was beyond bizzare. I had dealt with bizzare. I had piloted an Eva unit in response to attacks by Angels. I had destroyed them easily and still had time to do the mediocre homework that they assigned me in that lousy excuse for an education facility. I had to deal with one neurotic person after another and still managed to keep my sanity.

But now I felt a sense of numbness toward the world. In fact, I couldn't even bring myself to shout at the incompetent waitstaff who had failed to take my order, even though I had been sitting there for a good three and a half minutes. I just watched them, shuffling between tables. They would venture into the back to bring forth a meal to a patron every now and again.

It all felt so ridiculous. This place looked like it belonged in some American western movie. And this wasn't the only place, either. The entire world was like this. The only place that hadn't been set back like this was Japan.

I woke up in Japan. I don't remember exactly what happened the first time I woke up. That idiot Shinji was there. I think he was trying to kill me. If that's the case, he's lucky he wasn't there when I woke up the second time. But upon that second awakening, I saw more clearly than I had the first time. I was on a beach. The sand beneath me almost glowed white; the sea it bordered flowed red. The entire island had been turned into a wasteland.

The few people remaining there fled by boat. One group went in the direction of Hong Kong, while the other came to California in the United States.

I found a bit of money, got some more appropriate clothes and weapons, and the following aimless wandering brought me here. To a saloon in a town somewhere in the western United States.

Looking around, it seemed like none of the people here even remembered what had happened. They didn't even seem to remember that there ever was another world. Everything had been reset, and no one even knew that they hadn't existed for more than three months. Worse yet, none of them even seemed to care that they had no real history.

As my gaze moved across each person in the saloon, I eventually noticed a set of posters on the wall. That's another thing that I thought only existed in the movies: wanted posters.

None of them seemed particularly interesting until my eyes fell upon a specific poster. The picture was of a teenage girl. She had light, chin-length hair and dark eyes. I scanned the image carefully to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. It was her. It was Ayanami. It was the first time I had seen a familiar face since waking up in Japan.

My eyes drifted further down the poster. 'Dead or alive,' it proclaimed in large black letters. The figure across the bottom meant little to me. It said a price, but I had no frame of reference to know the value of the American dollar in this time and place. I did, however, notice that the number was substantially larger than those on the other posters.

The thought of meeting up with Rei again wasn't all together pleasant. She was a bore before all this happened, but she might be my best chance for figuring out what the hell exactly had happened. She was the only lead I had around this place.

"Excuse me," said a woman's voice from beside me. I snapped out of my thoughts and glanced up at her. I blinked my eyes in surprise as I saw who the woman was.

"Misato?" I blurted with a bit less of an even tone than I had intended.

Her expression turned mildly confused as she said, "Yes." She regained her composure almost instantly and remarked in an odd American accent, "I asked if I could help you."

"Uh," I began, trying to figure out exactly what to say. "What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"I work here," she said with an awkward smile. "Do you wanna place an order or not? I have other customers to serve."

I frowned as I replied, "You don't recognize me, do you?"

"I don't think we ever met," the raven haired woman replied. "If we were introduced, I'm afraid I forgot your name."

"Nevermind," I said with a defeated sigh. "I'll have whatever food you'd recommend and the largest glass of water you can find."

Misato nodded her head quickly and departed. Did she really have no memories of everything that had happened? I frowned to myself, considering the implications of that. It fit in with the fact that no one else remembered. But if that was the case, then why did I remember? Why were all my memories in tact?

After a few minutes of following that train of thought, Misato returned with some sort of meat-based dish and a tall glass filled with water. I nodded my thanks, then asked, "Can you perhaps provide me with some information?" I began eating quickly as she started to speak.

"Sure," she said with a smile as she seated herself at my table. "What is it that you need to know?"

"I want to know about the woman on that poster," I said, gesturing to the item in question. "It says her name is Rei Ayanami. Why is she wanted?"

"Couldn't rightly say," she replied, looking over the poster carefully. "I don't really hear much about the outlaws in these parts. I see a few dragged in occasionally, but I figure it ain't none of my business."

I nodded my head slightly. "Do you have any clue where she is or know of anyone who would?"

"I think there's rumor that she's hiding out somewhere to the north in a cabin. I hear it's out by itself. Other than that, I don't really know where it might be."

I finished up the food and chugged down the last of the water in my glass as she finished her statement. "Okay," I said, setting the glass back down. "Then I guess I'm heading north," I added, mostly to myself.

"Well, I'd be careful out there if I were you. There's bound to be lots of other bounty hunters out there looking for her. That's an awful big price she's got on her head."

I nodded one last time. "Thanks for your help." I was gracious enough to flash her a smile as I started to walk for the door. "I appreciate it," I commented offhandedly.

After a few seconds, Misato shot up from her chair. "Hey, wait a minute! You didn't pay!"

As I caught the words, I shot back, "Put it on my tab." Then I did as any self-respecting prospective bounty hunter would have done. I began to run.


End file.
